Career Information

A sonographer is a healthcare professional who specializes in the imaging and assessment of human anatomy for diagnosis and treatment. Sonographers prepare patients for the imaging exams, move patients into correct positions for their imaging, and create images by scanning the patient with a transducer that emits high frequency sound waves. Sonographers work in many different settings including hospitals, medical labs, doctor offices, and outpatient centers.

Diagnostic Medical Sonographers can image many different parts of the body, including:

  • Heart
  • Abdomen
  • Blood vessels
  • Developing fetus
  • Pediatric brains

Program Information

The diagnostic medical sonography program has two professional track options: general (RDMS) and vascular (RVT) sonography, or cardiac (RDCS) and vascular (RVT) sonography. All tracks of the program are three-years in length and have a selective and competitive admissions process. Students must satisfy all University of Iowa admission requirements, complete all prerequisites, and be accepted into the diagnostic medical sonography professional program following an application and selection process.

Admission & Degree Requirements

Admission Degree Requirements

Prerequisite Courses

Rhetoric:  RHET:1030 Rhetoric
Anatomy: one of these:
      HHP:2100 Human Anatomy
      HHP:3105 Anatomy for Human Physiology
      HHP:3115 Anatomy for Human Physiology with Lab
Physiology: one of these:
      HHP:2400 Fund. of Human Physiology
      HHP:3500 Human Physiology
      HHP:3550 Human Physiology with Lab
Physics:  PHYS:1400 Basic Physics
Psychology:  PSY:1001 Elem. Psychology
Math:  one of these:
          MATH:1440 Math for the Bio Sciences
          MATH:1020 Elementary Functions
General Education: 3sh from 2 of the following areas: 
          Understanding Cultural Persp. (UCP)
          Historical Perspectives (HP)
          International and Global Issues (IGI)
          Literary, Visual, and Perf. Arts (LVPA)
          Values and Society (VS)
Medical Terminology:  CLSA:3750 Medical and Technical Terminology

Program Admission Requirements

  • Prerequisites courses must be completed by June 1, with one exception: physics for the DMS program may be completed in the summer semester.
  • 2.5 minimum cumulative college GPA
  • 2.0 minimum UI GPA
  • 2.0 minimum college semester GPA in the spring or summer immediately prior to the start of the program.
  • Two years of high school world language
  • International students and students whose first language is not English:  must satisfy all UI Admissions requirements, complete the English Language Requirements for Admission, and have clearance to take a full academic load.

Recommendations

  • Job shadowing in general, cardiac, and vascular sonography
  • Hands-on patient care experience
  • RSP:1100 Introduction to Radiation Sciences
  • STAT:1020 Statistics
  • HHP:1400 Human Anatomy & Physiology or BIOL:1140 Human Biology (prior to anatomy course)
  • BAIS:1500 Business Computing Essentials
  • PSY:1010 Learning about Learning

Notes:

  -- Apply to the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, Radiation Sciences Interest
  -- Separate application for competitive selection due by January 15
  -- Admission to a Radiation Sciences program is not guaranteed.
  -- Transfer students – apply by November.
  -- Also see the Transfer Credits link on the Resources section of the website

Degree Requirements

  1. One of the following professional programs/tracks:

       Diagnostic Medical Sonography – up to 20 students accepted per year 

              Diagnostic Medical Sonography and General and Vascular (3 year track)
              Diagnostic Medical Sonography and Cardiac and Vascular (3 year track)

  1. Semester hour and GPA Requirements:

              Successfully complete a minimum of 120 semester hours of credit
              Maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative and UI GPA
              Complete all track courses with a C or above
              Prerequisite example plans are located on the Prospective Students page. 

  -- Students are advised for success, based on academic strength, not necessarily for a 4-year plan.
  -- Prerequisites for the three-year, Diagnostic Medical Sonography tracks may take more than one year to complete.

Accreditation

The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine’s Diagnostic Medical Sonography program is accredited by the

Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) 
9355 – 113th St. N, #7709
Seminole, FL 33775
Email: www.caahep.org 

upon the recommendation of the 

Joint Review Committee on Education in Diagnostic Medical Sonography
6021 University Boulevard, Suite 500
Ellicott City, MD 21403
Email: www.jrcdms.org 

The program’s current award is 10 years. General program accreditation information and the current accreditation award letter can be found here

Other Links

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